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No employees injured in Motiva Convent refinery fire

Officials are investigating what sparked a large fire at the Shell Motiva refinery in Convent Thursday morning. All employees at the plant are safe and no one was injured, but officials described the tense moments as those employees tried to get out of harms way.

Officials are investigating what sparked a large fire at the Shell Motiva refinery in Convent Thursday morning. All employees at the plant are safe and no one was injured, but officials described the tense moments as those employees tried to get out of harms way.

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Updated: 6:59 PM CDT Aug 11, 2016

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WEBVTT SAFETY AND EMERGENCY RESPONDERSWERE HEADING IN.AMID THE RAIN CLOUDS AND THICKBLACK SMOKE FILLING THE SKY INCONVENT AS FIRE BROKE OUT AT ONEOF THE HEAVY OIL UNITS.>> THE REST OF THE SITE ISRUNNING AND STABLE.REPORTER: MOTIVE DEPLOYEDON-SITE PERSONNEL TO RESPOND TOTHE FIRE.LOCAL AND STATE AGENCIES WERECALLED TO ASSIST AND BEGANHELPING EMPLOYEES GET OFF SITE.>> THERE WAS A MASS EXIT.WE TRIED TO GET PERSONNEL OFFTHE PLANT SITE SO WE DID SHUTDOWN HIGHWAY 70, POSSIBLY ABOUT45 MINUTES OR AN HOUR TO GET ALLOF THAT PERSONNEL OFF SITE ANDGET EMERGENCY PERSONNEL IN.REPORTER: OTHER UNITS IN THEREFINERY REMAINED OPERATIONAL.NOW WORK BEGINS TO DETERMINEWHAT CAUSED THE FIRE.>> I KNOW THERE WAS SPECULATIONABOUT A LIGHTNING STRIKE.IT COULD HAVE BEEN BUT NOBODYKNOWS IF THAT WAS THE CASE.REPORTER: THERE ARE BETWEEN 1200AND 1400 EMPLOYEES ON-SITE ANYGIVEN DAY.THEY WERE ALL ACCOUNTED FOR ANDUNINJURED.THE CLOSEST NEIGHBORHOOD TO THEPLANT WAS NOT IN DANGER AND WASNOT EVACUATED.>> THERE'S NOT AN IMMEDIATECONCERN.AIR MONITORS WILL DETERMINETHAT.THEY ARE KEEPING THE STUDYTESTING OF AIR AROUND THE PLANTSITE.REPORTER: WE ARE TOLD ANYEMPLOYEES NOT DIRECTLYRESPONDING TO THE FIRE WERE SENT

No employees injured in Motiva Convent refinery fire

Officials are investigating what sparked a large fire at the Shell Motiva refinery in Convent Thursday morning. All employees at the plant are safe and no one was injured, but officials described the tense moments as those employees tried to get out of harms way.